Basketball

Surreal feeling for Doug Kramer after game winner against TNT

THE SHOT. Similar to his game winner against UST in the UAAP Finals 12 years ago, Doug Kramer drilled a late baseline shot to win, this time for Phoenix against TNT in the PBA.

Ateneo Doug Kramer is back in business.

Well at least for one game that is.

Doug Kramer was able to help the Phoenix Fuel Masters escape with a big-time win over TNT in the 2018 PBA Philippine Cup as the veteran forward drilled a clutch floater with three seconds to go Wednesday at the MOA Arena.

The shot was eerily similar to the one he also made 12 years ago in Game 1 of the 2006 UAAP Finals, helping the Ateneo Blue Eagles take an early series lead over the UST Growling Tigers.

"You remember that?" Kramer said when reminded of the 2006 shot.

"Actually a lot of my teammates there, they also remember the 2006 shot so similar, yeah. Tied ball game and quick release shot underneath. Yeah, very similar. Very surreal, very nice feeling," he added (Editor's note: UST was actually ahead 72 - 71 with one second left in 2006).

Tied at 72 with around 20 seconds to go, the Fuel Masters ran a play designed to have Fil-Canadian sniper Matthew Wright take a game-winning basket.

After a double team came from TNT, Wright ended up handing the game-winning assist to Doug.

"I was just reacting to the defense. Kasi I was gonna set a ball screen for Matt but my man left me to double. So I just released the pressure off of Matt and he made the right play," Kramer, who finished with eight points and seven rebounds in the win, said.

"In my head, there was like four, three seconds, so I had to rush it. And it went in. I was happy it went it," he added.

Despite making the biggest heroic play of the game, Kramer says he's more proud of the little things he did prior that ultimately set up Phoenix's comeback from as many as 13 points down.

"Yeah more than that shot, it was a lot of the defense, the ball screens," he said.

"I was able to set a screen on Matt on his three-point shot, I was reading the defense. I heard the defense shout "switch!" so when I heard that, instead of me screening for Matthew's man, I screened my man so in turn I was able to help Matt get open. And that's my role on the team, to be able to get my teammates open, play defense, and get the rebounds. Offense comes as a bonus," Kramer added.